Nude (Female)

Antonio Benjamin

Antonio Benjamin (b. 1981) is known for rendering nudes. Working in traditional media such as colored pencils, acrylic, and ink appeals to Benjamin because he likes to have a large array of colors available when creating his iconic groups of flavored nude people. Benjamin remarks, "My work is about a group of people. Chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla people. They all think different. The chocolate people, they are really black, but I just call them chocolate."﻿ ﻿

In both digital and traditional media, Benjamin often depicts African American people and churches, reflecting his community and culture. Flashing his trademark bright smile, he says this subject matter is important and inspiring to him “because of our history.”